Cigarette holder



July 27, 1965 H. E. WALTERS CIGARETTE HOLDER Original Filed Aug. 16, 1962 INVENT OR ATTORNEY HARRY E. WALTERS FIG. 2.

BY Uhuiiw United States Patent 3,196,881 CIGARETTE HOLDER Harry E. Walters, 2312 Boone St., Baltimore 18, Md. Continuation of application Ser. No. 217,307, Aug. 16, 1962. This application May 11, 1964, Ser. No. 368,445 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-198) This application is a continuation of US. patent application, Serial No. 217,307, filed bythe applicant on August 16, 1962, for Cigarette Holder, now abandoned. This invention relates generally to cigarette smoking devices, and more particularly it pertains to a cigarette holder with a smoke diluting arrangement.

An object of this invention is to provide a cigarette holder which admixes cooling and diluting air in adjustably measured degrees with filtered smoke.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sleeve valve for admitting air to a cigarette holder which is adjustable to a large degree and which also serves as a filter for tobacco smoke.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette holder, filter, and air breather combination having a minimum of parts and which can be easily disassembled without tools.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following specification and single accompanying sheet of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an improved cigarette holder incorporating features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view somewhat enlarged and taken on the longitudinal center line of the cigarette holder portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the improved cigarette holder;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a valve sleeve looking into the counterbored end;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve sleeve; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective of a counterbored spiral in a sleeve valve.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, the novel cigarette holder 10 of this invention is made up of a conventional hard rubber or amber mouthpiece 12 which is provided with a metal mouthpiece sleeve 14.

A tubular sleeve valve 16 and the sleeve 14 of the mouthpiece 12 are assembled in the order named upon the reduced portion of a filter shank 20.

The filter shank 20 is provided with a pair of O-rings 22 and 24 positioned in shallow grooves and these O-rings protrude from the surface of the shank 20 so as to resilienly grip the sleeve valve 16 and the mouthpiece sleeve 14, respectively, and retain them thereupon.

The larger end of the cigarette sleeve 18 of the shank 20 is bored out to provide a recess 26 for engaging a cigarette. A plurality of spaced grooves 27 are formed in the shank 20 adjacent to the recessed end of the cigarette sleeve 18 and these grooves thus define a series of baffles 31 which extend nearly to the inside wall 30 of the surrounding sleeve valve 16.

An axially bored inlet opening 28 is provided in the shank 20, and it leads from the cigarette recess 26 to a right angle inlet 29 which communicates with the first groove 27 of the baffles 31.

The last groove 27 is drilled for a take-off 32 which communicates with an axial take-off 33 and thence to an axial smoke passage 36 co-extensive therewith leading to the mouthpiece.

A narrow valving slot 34 is cut longitudinally into the filter shank 20 so as to extend into the smoke passages 33 and 36. One end of the sleeve valve 16 overlies this slot 34 and this end is provided with a counterbored spiral 3,196,881 Patented July 27, 1965 ice 40. A breather hole 38 communicates this counterbore with the atmosphere.

To facilitate the rotation thereof, the sleeve valve 16 is externally knurled. With rotation, the sleeve 16 exposes a varying length of the slot 34 providing a means for admitting air from atmosphere through the counterbored spiral 40 and passage 38. This adjustment can be finely varied from a maximum to a minimum portion and the precise setting for a desired smoke-air blend is noted on indicia 42 and a fiducial mark 44 stamped into adjacent portions of the sleeve valve 16 and cigarette sleeve 18, as shown.

Since no screws are used, to disassemble the cigarette holder 10 for cleaning, it is only necessary to exert upon it a slight pull lengthwise, whereupon the rubber O-rings 22 and 24 will release the mouthpiece sleeve 14 and the sleeve valve 16 from the filter shank 20. This completely exposes the filter shank 20 with its moisture baflles 31 and additionally valving slot 34 for easy access. It is to be noted the counterbore 40 of the sleeve 16 is at this time also completely exposed for cleaning.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a holder, a mouthpiece, means including a valve sleeve, means including a valve shank, said mouthpiece, valve sleeve, and valve shank being positioned in tandem, said valve shank being formed with a recess at one end for engaging an article to be smoked and a plurality of spaced grooves at its opposite end defining a baflle, said valve shank having a first passage therein for communicating with the first of said spaced grooves in said bathe and with said recess therein and a second passage therein communicating with the last of said spaced grooves in said valve shank and with said mouthpiece, said valve sleeve being formed with a counterbored spiral portion in one end thereof and having a breather hole communicating said counterbored spiral to the exterior of said valve sleeve, said valve shank having a longitudinal slot therein extending into said second passage, and means to rotatably engage said valve sleeve over said bafile and said slot, whereby said counterbored portion valves external air from the atmosphere into said second passage to mingle with filtered smoke from said baffle before it enters said mouthpiece.

2. In a holder, means including a mouthpiece, means including a valve shank, and means including a valve sleeve encompassing said valve shank, said mouthpiece, valve sleeve, and valve shank being positioned in tandem, said valve shank being formed with a recess at one end for engaging an article to be smoked and a plurality of spaced grooves at its opposite end defining a baifie, said valve shank having a first passage therein for communicating with the first of said spaced grooves and with said recess therein and a second passage therein communicating with the last of said spaced grooves in said valve shank and with said mouthpiece, said valve sleeve being formed with a counterbored spiral portion in one end thereof and a breather hole communicating said counterbored spiral to the exterior of said valve sleeve, said valve shank having a longitudinal slot therein extending into said second passage, and means to rotatably engage said valve sleeve over said bafile and said slot.

3. In a holder, a mouthpiece, a valve shank, and a valve sleeve all positioned in tandem, said valve shank being formed with a recess at one end for engaging an article to be smoked and a plurality of spaced grooves at its opposite end defining a battle, said valve shank having a first 9 a passage therein for communicating with the first of said spaced grooves and with said recess therein and a second passage therein communicating with the last of said spaced grooves in said valve shank and with said mouthpiece, said valve sleeve being formed with a counterbored spiral portion in one end thereof and a breather hole communicating said counterbored spiral to the exterior of said valve sleeve, said valve shank having a longitudinal slot therein extending into said second passage, and means to rotatably engage said valve sleeve over said baflle and said slot, whereby said counterbored portion valves external air from the atmosphere into said second passage to mingle with filtered smoke from said bafile before it enters said mouthpiece.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 2/ 89 Sweden. 5 /27 Switzerland.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, JOSEPH S. REICH,

Examiners. 

3. IN A HOLDER, A MOUTHPIECE, A VALVE SHANK, AND A VALVE SLEEVE ALL POSITIONED IN TANDEM, SAID VALVE SHANK BEING FORMED WITH A RECESS AT ONE END FOR ENGAGING AN ARTICLE TO BE SMOKED AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED GROOVES AT ITS OPPOSITE END DEFINING A BAFFLE, SAID VALVE SHANK HAVING A FIRST PASSAGE THEREIN FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE FIRST OF SAID SPACED GROOVES AND WITH SAID RECESS THEREIN AND A SECOND PASSAGE THEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH THE LAST OF SAID SPACED GROOVES IN SAID VALVE SHANK AND WITH SAID MOUTHPIECE SAID VALVE SLEEVE BEING FORMED WITH COUNTERBORED SPIRAL PORTION IN ONE END THEREOF AND A BREATHER HOLE COMMUNICATING SAID COUNTERBORED SPIRAL TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID VALVE SLEEVE, SAID VALVE SHANK HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT 